The Slug Club, ft. Sirius
September 22nd, 1971
Classes at Hogwarts seemed to be getting more enjoyable. They had moved past Dittany in Herbology (finally!) and began learning about Puffapods. Puffapods we’re still a bit boring in James’ opinion, but less so than Dittany. Professor Poursoon had actually done something with them besides reading a safety manual and pointless lectures. He’d spend their last class teaching them about Vampires.
“Snivellus hates these classes, I bet,” James muttered to Sirius, “probably worried they’ll expose him.”
Poursoon assigned them a Vampire essay, which stressed James a bit. They already had an essay on Puffapods due tomorrow, an Astronomy essay (which James had not started in the two weeks they had to do it, but hey, he had more important things to do,) and now this Vampire essay.
The lovely weather from last week was gone, replaced by thunderstorms. James decided against looking for more passageways around Hogwarts, they had a break during the last period, and there was still another one after that for everyone but first years. As much as James’ loved the adrenaline rush of rule-breaking, he was not about to risk the knowledge of passageways getting out of the hands of himself, Sirius, Remus, or Peter.
He wished first-years had been allowed to play Quidditch, maybe he could’ve been training in the changing rooms. But he could not, so James found himself writing his Astronomy essay in the Common Room, at two in the afternoon.
“Maybe I should wait till tonight,” James mused, frowning at his parchment, “More stars in the sky, reckon that’s a smart idea, Sirius?”
Sirius didn’t even have his parchment, nor his textbook out. James was not a Seer, but he guessed enough that Sirius’ dislike for Astronomy had something to do with his family. Sirius was touchy about the subject: rarely bringing them up, quickly moving to a different topic when it did come up, and snide remarks about Narcissa occasionally.
James could not fathom the idea of not getting along with his family. The only grandparent who James had met was Grandad Harry, and he had died just after James’ had gotten his Hogwarts Letter. It was only his Parents and himself at home, and James loved them dearly.
“Good idea, more practical experience,” Sirius responded, and he laid back on the Common Room floor. He took up a considerable amount of space, he was taller than either James, Remus, or Peter, and James thought he was the tallest in their year.
“We’ve got two essays due tomorrow and you two haven’t started either of them,” Remus frowned. James looked at his parchment, his Puffapod essay nearly completed.
“How?” James asked him.
“How have you not started two essays?” Remus looked skeptically at him, “I can’t answer that…”
‘Not that,” James hissed. How had he forgotten to specify? “How do you write an essay that fast?”
“Notes,” Remus held up a piece of parchment, crammed with writing.
“I don’t take notes,” Sirius responded.
“You should try it, I highly recommend it.”
“Don’t want to, makes me bored.”
Remus sighed in defeat. Peter spoke up, “You can use my Astronomy notes if you want.”
“I’d die without you,” James grinned, and Peter pushed his notes towards James, and he was rather shocked at how detailed they were. “Godric, Peter! Half of this Estelle didn’t even talk about!”
“I already knew it,” Peter responded, a bit proudly, “my Mum taught me when I was younger.”
This was a direct contrast to Sirius, who seemed to hate Astronomy because his parents had taught him it.
“What’d star you two right about?” James asked Remus and Peter.
“Sirius.”
“Sirius.”
“I’m popular, you know,” Sirius grinned, “I’ll write about Sirius too, an autobiography never hurt anybody.”
“Supposed to be writing about the brightest star in the sky, not the dimmest.”
“Like you’d tell the difference, you blind bat.”
“Sorry to interrupt whatever’s happening here,” Alice Fortescue said, “James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin, I have letters from Slughorn for you.” She handed them each a tied-up scroll, and they unraveled them. Peter looked over Remus’ shoulder.
James Potter,
I would be delighted if you would join me in my office at 5pm on Friday, the 24th of September.
Professor H. E. F Slughorn
Remus frowned, “Is this for Potions tutoring?”
James doubted this was for Potions tutoring, why was the invitation so official? Remus struggled with Potions, that was obvious, but he and Sirius did not.
Sirius spoke almost his exact thoughts, “Nah, the invitations are too snobby. Extra potions but for more advanced stuff?”
James shook his head, “I don’t think it’s that. More advanced Potions, but Peter doesn’t get an invite?” Peter was arguably better at Potion-making than any of them.
Sirius groaned, “I know what this is!”
“What is it then?”
“It’s the stupid Slug Club, Andromeda, and Narcissa are in it, I think,” He sat up, “I’m not going.”
A part of James’ wanted to go. He had never heard of the Slug Club before and had no clue what it was about. It sounded prestigious, the invitations were fancy, and Sirius’ cousins were a part of it. Perhaps Slughorn invited particularly powerful students? No, that couldn’t work, Slughorn only saw them in Potions, and Remus was not a fan of Potions. Remus hadn’t gotten caught after the 1971 Peck-a-Thon, either.
“I’m a little curious, Sirius,” James admitted. Sirius looked at him.
“You and Remus can go, I’ll stay with Peter. Don’t be surprised if your bed’s a bird when you get back.”
September 24th, 1971
James and Remus headed down to the dungeons at 4:30. James was sure they wouldn’t get lost anymore, but Hogwarts was massive. They also left time in case they were stopped by teachers; James had gotten another detention after causing Professor Flitwick to fall from his chair. Remus hadn’t gotten any yet though.
They arrived earlier than five o’clock, but it looked as if they were supposed to. They were not the only ones invited, there were many other students, but James and Remus looked the youngest. The other students all looked to be older, and James could name a few of them. A couple of Gryffindors were there, like Frank Longbottom, Alice Fortescue, and a fourth-year he didn’t know the name of. There were Ravenclaws and Hufflepuff's too, but James didn’t know the names of them. Slytherins seemed to make up the majority; Lucius Malfoy, Andromeda Black, Narcissa Black, and the Greengrass siblings. Besides Celeste Greengrass, they seemed to be the only first-years.
“Ah!” Slughorn exclaimed, “Mr. Lupin and Mr. Potter! Take a seat, take a seat!” James and Remus took their seats, in between Andromeda and Frank, and Slughorn inquired after Sirius.
“He’s not coming, Professor,” James told him.
Slughorn seemed disappointed at the news of Sirius, but continued, “Now I suppose I should introduce our three newcomers, yes?” Slughorn gestured to James, “James Potter, as some of you may know, his Father invented Sleekeasy’s Hair Potion. How’s Monty doing?”
“He’s been alright,” James responded. He was reluctant to share too much information, very aware of Malfoy, “He retired a couple of years ago, he sold the company. He still brews Potions a lot.”
“Excellent! It seems you have inherited a bit of your Father’s talents, from your performance in my class! You’re father and I were pals, long ago, I’ll have to get back in touch. Remus Lupin,” He gestured to Remus, who very much looked like he wanted to become the carpet, “his Father’s an expert on Non-Human Spirituous Apparitions, boggarts, poltergeists, and dementors, in simpler terms. Helped me banish a Boggart long ago, how has Lyall been? I haven’t heard much about him since he left the Ministry, though I suppose he is still conducting his research?”
Remus not only looked like he wanted to become the carpet, he looked like he wanted to suffocate himself in the carpet. “Dad’s still doing research, he left the Ministry to spend more time with me and my Mum.”
Slughorn hummed, “Yes, I taught him as well, he was in Ravenclaw! Didn’t have as memorable first Potions class as yourself, though!” He chuckled, and James thought Remus was in fact about to choke on the carpet.
“That’s one way to put it, Professor,” James responded grinning, as Remus had sunk into his chair, making him seem shorter than usual.
“Certainly! And now Ms. Greengrass, though you all probably know her brother Calloway, their Uncle Schyuler is Head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes! Stressful job, I imagine…”
“I’m planning to enter the Ministry myself, Professor,” Calloway spoke up, “once I graduate of course.”
“Excellent!” Slughorn looked very happy at this piece of news, “Now I suppose, Ms. Greengrass, you will likely be doing the same thing?”
“I haven’t thought that far yet, Professor, though I imagine so,” Celeste smiled.
Slughorn chuckled, “Of course, you’re only in your first year! Plenty of time to think about your career!” He directed his attention to Frank, Andromeda, and Lucius, “You are all in you’re seventh year now, I assume your ambitions have not changed?”
“Not at all, Professor,” Malfoy responded, “I still plan to join the Ministry as did my father.” Malfoy’s voice was practically dripping with malicious intent, it drove James mad.
“Oh, Professor, you know me,” Andromeda said, “I’ll settle down, I might study a bit more, or train as a healer.”
“Always been a tad indecisive, Ms. Black!” Andromeda smiled in response. “Mr. Longbottom, I assume your desire to become an Auror has not changed?”
“That’s my plan,” Frank responded.
“Wonderful! And Ms. Fortescue, I have heard you have similar plans..”
The rest of the meeting was simultaneously the most dull and interesting conversation James had ever been a part of. Every student had notable family members, part of a powerful family, (James suspected that’s why Sirius was wanted here, he was the Heir to the Black Family, after all), or a few had gotten an invite on their own. Such as Damocles Belby, a Hufflepuff who was talented in Potions, and Farian Fawcett, a Ravenclaw who was good with Astronomy.
Remus spoke very little if he spoke at all. He struck James as shy, to begin with, but in the presence of people such as Malfoy and Calloway Greengrass, he was even more so. He only spoke once, once the conversation turned to Sirius.
Slughorn had been talking with Narcissa about the Slytherin Quidditch Team, she played beater, when he asked about Sirius. “Now, Ms. Black, what about you’re cousin, Sirius? I’d suspected he’d join us in Slytherin, but he shocked us all!”
The tension in the room was palpable. James knew of course, about the Blacks and the Sacred Twenty-Eight, and their ideas of pure-blood supremacy. He had not known about how valued the Slytherin tradition was to some of them until now. Sirius had never fully mentioned what breaking his tradition would mean, but James encouraged it because screw the Slytherins, Gryffindor was better. But Narcissa’s blue eyes had narrowed, and Malfoy and Calloway had a look of disgust on their faces. Celeste’s face was unreadable, but Andromeda took charge of the conversation.
“Yes, it was a bit of a shock to us all, Professor!” Andromeda said, “But we can't change the past, can we?”
“My, aren’t you and Potter friends with Sirius, Lupin?” Lucius Malfoy asked.
James answered, “Yes-”
Lucius cut him off, “That was a question for Lupin, not you Potter.”
Remus went paler than he already was, “Yeah, we’re friends-”
“And do you think you’ve influenced him in any way, to perhaps, turn against his family and be sorted into Gryffindor?”
“No one chooses what house there in Malfoy, don’t be stupid-”
“Potter, once again, that was a question for Lupin, not yourself-”
“Lucius,” Frank said sharply, “Enough.”
“Mr. Longbottom is right,” Slughorn responded. He had been silent throughout the whole conversation, “That is enough, Mr. Malfoy.”
Malfoy’s grey eyes flickered, “I apologize, Professor. I was merely curious as to Sirius’ sorting.”
“There was bound to be someone who broke the tradition,” Andromeda said, “It happened to be Sirius, and we can’t change it.”
“Though I think,” James said, “you 're trying to blame Remus for that, weren’t you Lucius?”
Remus was tapping on James’ arm now, begging him to stop. James did not plan to.
“What gives you that idea?” Lucius Malfoy smiled, trying to appear innocent.
“This is enough,” Alice Fortescue said sharply.
“She is quite right!” Slughorn exclaimed, “Dinner has started, I say you all go eat a bite of it.”
“I agree, Professor.” Lucius Malfoy left with Narcissa and the Greengrass's, followed by the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuff's. James and Remus were the last to leave, though they were met with Frank, Alice, and Andromeda talking in hushed voices outside the office. They looked up when they saw them.
“If there’s one thing you need to learn,” Andromeda said, “it’s to not challenge Lucius Malfoy.”
“I’m not about to let Malfoy target my friend like that-” James protested, but Frank cut him off.
“That’s what he wanted, he wanted one of you to reveal something against Sirius.”
“What could we have against Sirius, Frank? That he doesn't make his bed in the morning?”
Andromeda rolled her eyes, “I’m not surprised. But, in case you’ve forgotten he did break a tradition, one our family values a lot more than I thought they did, but now my dear Aunt is trying to keep up with him at Hogwarts, and apparently is using Narcissa, and by extension, Lucius to do it!”
“How’d they find out he was in Gryffindor?” Frank asked, “Did he write to them?”
James and Andromeda answered at the same time.
“No, he’s only gotten one letter, said it was from his Dad a week ago.”
“Narcissa wrote to our Mum, she told them.” James noticed Remus had not said a word and was practically hiding behind James.
“I bet Walburga took that well,” Alice responded, with a grimace.
“Listen,” Andromeda turned to Remus and James, “You all need to stay as far away as you can from particularly rich pure-bloods, including my sister. Our families have a lot of influence, and I am not dragging a bunch of eleven-year-olds into this mess.”
“But you dragged in Sirius?” James responded. That’s what friends did, they followed each other into messes, no matter how messy they were.
“Sirius was born into it, and whether he meant to or not, he is now at the center of this mess.” Andromeda replied, “I need you all to stay out of it, and let me handle this.”
James had a strong feeling there was something deeper happening, and Andromeda was hiding it.